The Mbulu-Owo and Owo autonomous communities in Nkanu East Local Government Area, Enugu State, have called on the Nigerian Army to obey a court order directing it to vacate a long-disputed parcel of land in the area.
The land in question shares boundaries with multiple communities, including Akpoga-Nike, Nkwubor Nike, and Onuogba Nike in Enugu East LGA; Amechi Idodo, Oruku, and Ubahu in Nkanu East LGA; and Umuhuaji, Nkalagu, and Ama-Azu in Ishielu LGA of Ebonyi State.
Justice C.O. Ajah of the Enugu State High Court had, on May 20, 2025, issued a restraining order against the Nigerian Army, the Federal Ministry of Defence, and the Enugu State Government, preventing them from entering the land until the determination of a pending suit. The case was adjourned to September 29, 2025, for a pretrial conference.
However, despite the court order, residents allege that truckloads of soldiers were recently seen patrolling and surveying the land, leading to fears and heightened tension within the community. A video currently circulating on social media reportedly shows armed soldiers moving through the disputed territory.
In a statement issued over the weekend, Ability Chukwuemeka Mbah, Secretary of the concerned communities, urged the military to respect the court’s decision to preserve peace in the area.
“The presence of the army on the disputed land is causing fear and apprehension among our people,” Mbah stated.
The land dispute dates back to 2016, when tensions first emerged between the communities and the Nigerian Army. A joint inspection by the Enugu State Government at the time reportedly failed to locate any boundary beacons that matched the Army’s submitted survey documents, raising questions about the legitimacy of its land ownership claim.
The Nigerian Army, in its defense, had told the investigative committee that it acquired the land around 1970, but acknowledged that it has since been encroached upon by unknown individuals who were allegedly installing new boundary markers.
With the matter still in court and the next hearing scheduled for September, local leaders are urging federal authorities and the military hierarchy to comply with the judicial process and avoid further actions that could escalate the situation.
